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| Kansas Division of Emergency Management | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kansas Division of Emergency Management |
| Native name | KDEM |
| Formed | 1950s |
| Jurisdiction | Kansas |
| Headquarters | Topeka, Kansas |
| Parent agency | Kansas Adjutant General's Department |
Kansas Division of Emergency Management is the state agency responsible for coordinating hazard mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience activities across Kansas. It works with federal partners such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state authorities including the Governor of Kansas, and local entities like county emergency management offices to manage incidents ranging from severe weather to infrastructure failures. The division integrates planning with organizations such as the American Red Cross, National Weather Service, and the Kansas National Guard.
The division traces roots to post-World War II civil defense programs connected to the Office of Civil Defense, evolving through Cold War-era initiatives and the disaster policy reforms of the Presidential Disaster Declaration framework. In the 1970s and 1980s it aligned with state-level emergency management reforms influenced by federal statutes such as the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The agency's posture changed after landmark events like the 1993 Midwest floods and the Great Flood of 1993, prompting revisions to state emergency operations plans and hazard mitigation strategies. Following the September 11 attacks, the division broadened counterterrorism coordination with entities including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Organizationally, the division operates within the Kansas Adjutant General's Department and historically reports through the Adjutant General of Kansas to the Governor of Kansas. Leadership roles have included directors appointed under gubernatorial authority and coordination with state cabinet-level officials such as the Kansas Secretary of Homeland Security and the Kansas Secretary of Public Safety. The agency maintains field liaisons to county commissioners and municipal emergency managers, while staff collaborate with subject-matter partners like the National Weather Service Wichita office and the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Core responsibilities encompass statewide emergency planning, administration of the state emergency operations center in Topeka, Kansas, incident coordination during declared disasters, and implementation of the state emergency management plan. The division administers federally funded programs linked to the Stafford Act, manages disaster recovery planning in concert with the Small Business Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and coordinates public information with agencies such as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It also oversees hazard mitigation grant applications, damage assessment processes that inform presidential disaster declarations, and continuity of operations planning with institutions such as Kansas State University and the University of Kansas.
Programmatic efforts include statewide hazard mitigation planning aligned with the National Flood Insurance Program, community resilience initiatives in partnership with the Economic Development Administration, and exercises modeled on the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program. The division administers grant programs such as the Emergency Management Performance Grant and collaborates on initiatives like the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System and National Incident Management System adoption. Community outreach includes mitigation workshops with organizations such as the American Red Cross and recovery coordination with Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
The division activates the state emergency operations center to coordinate multiagency responses during incidents such as tornado outbreaks, derecho events, agricultural crises, and pandemic responses similar to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas. It facilitates mutual aid through compacts mirroring the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and interoperable communications supported by the FirstNet network. Operational coordination includes liaison with federal partners like the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region VII, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency during hazardous materials events.
Training programs use curricula from the Emergency Management Institute and the Center for Domestic Preparedness to certify local emergency managers in National Incident Management System and Incident Command System protocols. The division administers federal grants including the Homeland Security Grant Program and the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program, and partners with academic institutions such as Wichita State University for research on resilience. Preparedness campaigns coordinate with Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Agriculture, and local school districts to advance community readiness and continuity planning.
The division sustains partnerships across public, private, and non-profit sectors, collaborating with the Kansas National Guard, Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Department for Children and Families, utility companies, and voluntary organizations like Salvation Army (United States) and Habitat for Humanity International. Interstate cooperation uses frameworks like the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and coordination with neighboring state agencies in Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado. The division participates in regional coalitions that include metropolitan emergency managers, federal agency representatives, and academic research centers such as the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs and Administration.
Category:Emergency management in Kansas Category:State agencies of Kansas